British values- where are they in our school?

Schools have a duty to teach British values including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of other faiths and beliefs.

• Teachers are required, in the Conduct section of their Standards, to uphold public trust in the profession by not undermining fundamental British values.

• Maplefields expects all staff to model and teach these values. If you believe that anyone at the school is undermining these values, you must report this to the Headteacher.

Maplefields recognises and celebrates the multi-ethnic and multi-faith nature of our country. This is particularly important as the vast majority of our students are male, White British and have

limited opportunities at school to experience peers from a range of cultures and backgrounds.

Our Equalities policy makes clear our intention to provide the best education we can for all of our students regardless of race, faith, gender, age and sexual orientation. Our assemblies focus on positive values such as honesty, caring and respect.

So, where else?Democracy• School Council, Anti-bullying groups and shortly, a

Sports Council• Delegates elected – one student, one vote- and

adheres to democratic processes; recommendations are voted on.

The rule of law• PSHE/PSD including developing an understanding of

British and European law• We model and teach the necessity for rules• clear system of rewards and consequences

Individual liberty• responsibilities within the school-help new arrivals and show

visitors around the school• encouraged to make their own decisions where they have the

appropriate level of maturity • reminded of potential consequences, positive and negative• provide boundaries and educate to make safe choices

(Protective Behaviours, VvV programme)• tailored curriculum and provision to meet needs and

aspirations• educate students about responsibilities and rights • working towards the Rights Respecting School Award (Unesco)

• Mutual respect• PHSE and assemblies use the SEAL and citizenship frameworks • strongly values based• fairness through education about rules and penalties in PE• fair in our school doesn’t mean we all get the same, it means we

get what we need• Buddy scheme • We are further developing a global curriculum to emphasise the

connectedness of people everywhere• Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs• RE - all the major faiths and cross-faith issues• demonstrates the similarities and celebrates the differences • global links - compare and contrast without judging and to “walk a

mile in another’s shoes”• curriculum enriched with visitors from different cultures

Prevent strategy

• Outcome of Trojan Horse enquiry• Recommendation- Ofsted to consider whether

current framework… is capable of detecting indicators of extremism … and potential changing character of a school… and appropriate boundaries not breached

21 schools in Birmingham inspected

• Michael Wilshaw letter June 2014• All maintained schools and academies,

including faith and non-faith schools, must promote the values of wider British society.

Guidance says the curriculum should:• Actively promote the fundamental British

values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

• SMSC• L&M paras 152,153, 157, 165• Behaviour & Safety para 174• Sixth form para 211

Policy is not enough- Sir John Cass School

• Many schools diligent in producing well worded policies that comply with regulations, but what happens in practice is critical

• L&M inadequate in part because neither staff nor governors have received any training in how to identify or respond to the early signs of extremism and/or radicalisation

• Not responded with sufficient urgency or decisiveness to concerns brought to their attention by police…relating to social media sites bearing the name of a school sixth form society…containing links to individuals associated with extremist activity…neither was information, education or training provided to students, parents, staff or governors

• Curriculum not adapted to ensure everyone aware of dangers

• Messages on social media sites discouraging attendance at events such as fundraising karaoke evening- sixth formers attending a leavers’ party who engaged in “free mixing” and “listening to music” would face sever consequences later

What do we need to do?

• Give explicit evidence on how the school supports British values

• Make links clear in lessons• Implicit evidence will be seen in rewards &

sanctions policy, discussion and conscious promotion of fairness in our practice

• Providing evidence in lesson plan where appropriate

• Use the website to provide statement

• the main aim of Prevent must be to prevent people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. That will also require challenge to extremist ideologies which can be made to justify terrorism and intervention with some extremists who are moving into terrorism. Prevent is part of the Government’s much larger toolkit designed to challenge extremism, extremist groups and terrorism.

CONTEST

• Prevent • Pursue • Prepare • Protect

Current threat level 5.12.14 is SEVERE